Chakra Wizard
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Alright, the third and final part of the match! *_* Let’s throw in some more history before the explosive ending as celebration. lol As always, enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 071: Blood of a Trickster
His ability to move completely stripped away from him, Airon laid helpless on the ground as Minto pushed away at the button on the Shock Lash every five seconds, continuing his opponent’s immobile state for roughly the same amount of time. By now, this cycle had repeated itself at least seven times, and with virtually no end in sight, Baiko raised his arm to announcement the end of the match.
Baiko: The winner is-
He stopped midway as a familiar voice suddenly spoke up in his mind, prompting him to turn and look at Airon, who was wearing a serious expression and shaking his head as far back and forth as he possibly could. Noticing this, Minto frowned and looked over at Baiko for answers.
Minto: Proctor?
Baiko: (Caught off guard by his intrusion, he jerked his head slightly as he turned to face him.) The match ends when one of the contestants surrenders, is unable to continue fighting, or dies. …None of those conditions have been met yet.
Expecting as much, Minto looked over at Airon, who was smiling in amusement at his more irritated expression.
Airon: (I’m not letting you off easy, Minto. You wanna win this match, you’re gonna have to drain aaallll my chakra. …So prepare to be here a while.)
Minto: (He smirked after a moment’s hesitation, signaling that he agreed to those terms.) (Go ahead and do what you want. I’m very patient with you, Airon. …Always have been.)
They shared a silent laugh at this, while up in the stands, several members of the audience continued to stare in amazement at the match’s current state. After watching the first round, most of them had become convinced that Airon was, by far, the fastest genin in the tournament, so his inability to bypass Minto’s defense came as quite a shock, especially to those who knew him best.
Boruto: I can’t believe he caught Airon in his defense. …The Flying Raijin Jutsu’s speed is supposed to be unsurpassable.
Suzaku: (He couldn’t help but nod in agreement, though he continued to support his son’s efforts. ) Well, it’s not entirely implausible, Bolt. That was a very narrow space he teleported into. …Minto just managed to catch him in his defense before he could retaliate, I suppose.
Boruto motioned his agreement as he looked down at Airon, though he still found it difficult to believe, as did his son’s rival on the nearby balcony.
Manako: (What just happened, Airon? You don’t get caught like that.)
Airon: (He smiled up at the balcony, though traces of irritation could also be seen in his expression.) (Contrary to popular belief, Manako, I don’t keep track of everything my friends learn how to do. …You’re just a special case.)
Manako: (He managed to return a smirk, though he was still vastly disappointed.) (Be that as it may, when someone manages to surpass what you thought was their maximum potential…I’d think you of all people would take notice.)
Airon’s face tensed up again as another surge of electricity coursed his limbs, cutting off his connection to Manako before he could say that he had taken notice to Minto’s improved abilities, long before the exams even started.
Some time had passed since Airon’s suggestion that they focus on the Shock Lashes’ defensive capabilities, and Minto was making steady progress with the patterns of movements the former developed. Their time spent practicing them was limited given their determination to maintain secrecy, restricted either to the early mornings when no other teams were ripe for training, or late into the night where no one would notice their absence, to the point where nearly three months had passed since their hard work finally began to pay off. The Third Training Ground was their location of choice, and it was here that Minto was currently showcasing his mastery over the first pattern to an onlooking Airon, who was clearly satisfied with his progress.
Airon: Alright, now show me the second pattern.
Minto’s weapons fell limp, picking up again after a few deep breaths, their movements having grown faster and more complex. He kept them in motion for several seconds as Airon traced them with his eyes, smiling when he was certain they matched those he had taught him previously.
Airon: Perfect. …And now the third.
He stopped again to catch his breath, though he was much more hesitant to start than before, hinting that he had yet to completely master the third pattern. Some patience on Airon’s part eventually got the ball rolling again, though it became clear within a minute that this was indeed the case.
Airon: You gotta keep the hands moving, Minto. Come on, you can go faster than that.
As Airon put it, the problem stemmed from Minto’s inability to keep the motions of the Lashes on their intended path, while also maintaining the speed needed to keep them from falling flat. He grew closer as the minutes passed, but by the time he had finally grown too exhausted to continue, he was still falling short of his goal, though Airon was quick to comfort him on this.
Airon: Hand motions are still a little sloppy…but you’re definitely getting there.
Minto: (He fell back into the dirt as he wheezed a reply, rubbing his hands incessantly.) Huhh…huhh, thanks. …Huhh, jeez, my hands are killin’ me.
Airon: Hehehehe, well, try and endure the pain. It’s gonna pay off big time in the long run. Heck, you keep going at this rate and even I won’t be able to skate past that barrier.
Airon half-expected him either to brush off this remark or sarcastically go along with it, making his silence afterwards somewhat surprising, not to mention intriguing.
Airon: What is it?
Minto: (Realizing he’d just been spacing out, he quickly turned away in minor embarrassment.) …Nothing.
Airon: (Amused, he was about to comment on this before hearing footsteps in the distance.) Alright. Well, put those away and we’ll call it a day for now. We gotta keep these under wraps until it comes time for you to fight Raiden.
Minto: (He slowly did as he asked, looking up at him after he put the Shock Lashes in his weapons pouch and zipped it shut.) When is that?
Airon: (He smirked in amusement.) Well, I’d imagine the Chūnin Exams. What better place to showcase a secret weapon than in a stadium full of people from around the world, right?
Minto: (He stared ahead for a moment before standing up, no pleasure to be found in his expression, though traces could be seen brewing underneath.) Yeah…good point.
They started walking towards the tree line when they were greeted by an arriving team of genin led by their somewhat ecstatic sensei, whose right eye had slightly duller coloring than the left.
Katame: Seems we were interrupting someone else’s training session. It’s a pleasure running into you, Honorable Grandsons.
Airon: The same to you, Katame-sensei. And yes, you can say that. (Jeez, my grandfather’s not even Hokage anymore.)
Kūrogane: (She cocked an eyebrow in curiosity.) Anything worth sharing with the rest of us, perhaps?
Airon: (He smirked in amusement, staring at her as if surprised she would even bother asking.) Hmhm, as if we’d share our trade secrets with someone who might wind up our enemies later on down the road.
Minto: (He partook in the chuckling that followed before adding to the conversation.) That said, from what we’ve accomplished so far, I can definitely say it’ll be worth the wait to find out.
Raiden: How’s that? Did he teach you to walk or something?
Without hesitation, all noises within the vicinity ceased save for a slight breeze. Kemono and Katame buried their faces in their hands while Kūrogane rubbed her eyes before cutting in, each of them half-expecting this moment to crop up.
Kūrogane: Raiden, quit it. We’re fixing to spar, we don’t need this.
Raiden: (As usual, he shrugged off her remarks with an annoyed expression.) Why’s this a problem? I’m just getting jazzed up.
Minto: (Unable to hold himself back, he exhaled deeply through his nose as he curled his fist.) You’ve got a pretty big mouth considering you have no teeth in it. I catch you in a real fight, Raiden, I’ll make you wish you were never born as my little brother.
Raiden: Heh, you say that as if I don’t alrea-
Airon: Raiden.
Raiden was fully prepared to resume his tirade of insults, but the rage in Airon’s eyes and the small glint from his partially unsheathed sword caused him to stop before any more words left his mouth. A few more seconds of awkward silence passed before he and Minto finally left the the training ground, nodding farewell to Raiden’s teammates as they walked away. They continued well past the tree line before Minto finally stopped and leaned against a tree with his hands in his pockets, apparently deep in thought, prompting Airon to walk up behind him and rest his hand on his shoulder.
Airon: You alright?
Minto: (He turned his head slightly to bring him into his gaze, only faint traces of sadness in his expression.) Yeah. …Airon.
Airon removed his hand and waited for him to speak, though it took Minto a moment to do so, not even turning around when he finally opened his mouth.
Minto: If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to practice these patterns on my own from now on. I already know them, so it’s not like I can’t tell if I’m getting them wrong or not. …So…
He turned around to see his response, half-expecting him to be disappointed or, at the very least, question his reasons for the sudden request.
Airon: Yeah, that’s works out great.
Minto: …I’m sorry?
Airon: (He grinned in amusement before explaining himself, turning away with an almost sly expression.) I’ve been doing a little something on the side with Inase for the past few weeks, anyways, so by all means, get in all the hours of solo practice you want. …They’re your secret weapons, after all. I shouldn’t know how skilled you are with them.
Minto: (Surprised by his answer, he looked away for a moment as he allowed his words to sink in.) Yeah, I guess that’s true.
Airon: That said, if you wind up slipping up and revealing them before the right time comes around, I’m gonna be all over you in a heartbeat.
Minto almost jerked his head as he whipped back around, his eyes wide with fear, prompting Airon to throw his head back as laughter burst forth from his lips. Minto’s fear quickly vanished as he buried his head in his hand, now overcome with both embarrassment and annoyance.
Airon: I’m kidding, Minto, relax. Now go do what you gotta do. I have to go find Manako. I’ll catch you later, alright?
Minto: …Yeah…catch you later.
He placed his hand on his shoulder one last time before walking away, leaving Minto standing there alone amongst the trees. He looked off towards the training ground once he was gone, leaving for home once he decided he had no other options for the time being.
Minto returned to the training ground that night, faint new markings left upon the ground from Team Katame’s no doubt productive session earlier in the day. He spent a rather unnecessary length of time patrolling the area for any potential late-night strollers before pulling out the Shock Lashes, starting with the first and simplest defensive pattern after a few heavy breaths. Roughly half a minute into it, he shifted to the second pattern with relative ease, though when he tried to move to the third pattern another thirty seconds later, the weapons’ motions quickly fell into disarray, forcing him to stop and regain his composure.
Minto: Rrrrgh…huhhh, relax…move your hands…
He flexed his wrists a few times to straighten out the whips laying across the ground before closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. When he was finally ready, he opened them again.
Minto: …Go.
He began once again with the first pattern, shifting to the second almost immediately afterwards, a testament to how well he knew them both by this point. He was much more hesitant to make the second shift, however, still struggling to maintain the balance between speed and hand motions. As time passed, though, his movements gradually fell into place, prompting him to stop and reach into his pocket. Walking over to the three posts in the center of the field, he unwrapped a pack of mints and stacked them atop the middle post before stepping back roughly twenty feet and beginning the patterns once again. His speed increased exponentially with each pattern, to the point that when he arrived at the third, just as he and Airon had predicted, the movements of the Lashes pushed the surrounding air outward with such force that the mints on top of the post were sent flying in all directions. Seeing as this as proof that he had reached his peak, Minto allowed the Lashes to fall flat, content with this massive accomplishment.
Minto: Huhh…huhh…finally. Pattern number three…completely mastered.
Still breathing heavily, he sat down and lazily crossed his legs as a smile crept onto his face, though it slowly disappeared as another thought entered his mind.
Minto: (Is that enough, though?)
Airon’s words rang in his ear as he contemplated this.
Airon: They’re your secret weapons, after all. I shouldn’t know how skilled you are with them.
There was truth in his words, truth that almost came across as a challenge to him, even more so the longer he thought it over. Airon developed the patterns himself before teaching them to Minto, so even if he mastered them all, he already knew the full range of his abilities. And yet, he had also designed them to stretch his speed and stamina to their absolute peaks, so the only way to possibly enhance them further would be to push beyond his own limitations. It was a silly idea, he thought, but from the mouth of Airon Namikaze, no aspiration seemed completely out of reach. Minto smiled at his old friend’s cleverness before standing up, sending ripples down the lengths of the Lashes to study their movements before slowly putting them away and leaving the training ground for the night, having accomplished all he set out to do for now.
Minto: (Alright then, Airon. …I’ll show you just how skilled with these I can be.)
The month that followed that wasn’t spent on missions was spent cooped up in his workshop, most of the time he normally dedicated to his friends now aimed at further developing his speed, his hand movements, his chakra control, and his prowess with his new weapons. The work was excruciating and time-consuming, even taking into account that all of it was being done in solitude, but he was slowly making progress along the way, pushing his body well beyond what he ever would’ve dreamed of achieving not even a year before. With the Third Training Ground as his base of operations, he soon began rushing from the tree line to the posts and back in seconds flat, performing elaborate tricks with the Shock Lashes, and illuminating over half of the field with his greatest output of chakra. But, perhaps most impressively of all, he developed a fourth defensive pattern with his weapons, one that he now spent every night working towards mastering. The required speed of his hand motions would form a secondary barrier that could potentially push back even mid-level fire and water-based techniques. The patterns were made so small and complex that only the sharpest eyes could keep track of them and only the fastest and most agile opponents could squeeze past them. And the effort to maintain both would be so strenuous on his body that he could only keep them going for ten-second intervals before being forced to return to using the third pattern. It was an agonizing task, something he quickly discovered on the first night he went to test it out, but he was more than up to the challenge, something he found out that same night when he wound up making more progress than he’d originally anticipated. When he reached a point where he could train no longer, he dropped both Lashes and fell flat on his back, trying hard not to flex his pain-ridden fingers for the next five minutes as he smiled at the thought of showcasing this new milestone to the weapons’ co-creator.
Minto: Huhh…huhh…well…huhh, it’s a start. (Just you wait, Airon. This technique is gonna make anything you showed me look like Academy-level nonsense.)
Several minutes passed before he found the energy to stand up and put away his weapons, walking home shortly afterward as an observant Manako watched from far beyond the tree line, making sure the training ground was just outside his Sharingan’s line of sight as per Airon’s instructions. He noted the smile on his face before looking off past the trees towards the aforementioned genin, who was sitting cross-legged atop a small building resting just on the outskirts of the woods separating the training ground from the rest of the village.
Manako: (He seems pretty happy with whatever he just finished doing.)
Airon could only smile in response since, as he had previously assured Minto, he bore no indication as to what this entailed.
Airon: (I’m looking forward to whatever it may be.)
With Minto’s timing still on cue, several minutes had already passed by with Airon still paralyzed on the ground, his knowledge of the wheat used to make the weapons coiling around his body indicating that at least half of his chakra had already been drained away. Only two other people in the entire stadium were aware of this, but the ominous feeling that his inability to escape gave the audience caused many to worry nonetheless, even some among his peers and loved ones.
Hitomi: He’s still laying there…is he at least plotting his escape still? At this point, I’m starting to doubt he’ll-
Manako: Ssshh.
Hitomi looked to his side in surprise, finding Manako standing there with his arms against the railing, staring down at Airon with an obviously angry look in his eyes. An equal amount of anxiety could be seen in Nakama’s expression, though they both stemmed from a shared reasoning – the possibility of not getting to fight Airon. Much more relaxed was their rival down below, the small amount of pain inflicted by each paralyzing shock of the Lash notwithstanding, and he glanced up at his opponent with as impressed a look in his eyes as he’d ever given him.
Airon: (I honestly believed you’d reached your limit when I taught you the third pattern. …I’m kind of ashamed to admit it, but I never thought you’d become strong enough to create a fourth.)
Minto: (He looked down at him with a sly expression on his face as he pressed the button on the Lash’s handle once again.) (As I said, it was your mistake choosing not to read your friends’ minds when they’re the ones you should worry about the most.)
Airon closed his eyes momentarily to reflect on this, looking up at Minto moments later with a smile that gradually turned from gentle to wicked.
Airon: (Oh, I never stopped worrying about you, Minto. …Why do you think I left my sword over there on the ground?)
Minto took the bait right away and looked over at Airon’s katana, his eyes widening as he realized one second too late that he’d been duped. Before he could press the button and send another surge of electricity through the Shock Lash, though, Airon had already vanished from beneath its folds, reappearing overtop his sword and moving just in time to avoid the second as it crashed down on his position. Free from Minto’s clutches and out of his weapons’ range, Airon took a moment to catch his breath, smiling over at him as he tried to grasp what just happened.
Airon: You reacted, Minto. …Need to control those impulses.
Minto: (Disappointed with himself as he’d ever been, his once confident expression quickly became serious as he stared Airon down.) It doesn’t change anything. Like you said, I’ve surpassed whatever limits you thought I had. …Even you can’t touch me now.
Airon’s smile morphed into a grin at the prospect of this new challenge, using his sword to stand back up before retying it around his waist and reaching into his weapons pouch to see how many kunai he had left, cringing when he found there were only two remaining.
Airon: (That’s not good…guess I’ll have to make due.)
Up in the stands, many of his biggest supporters heaved a sigh of relief that he was now free to counterattack, the Kage sitting overhead commenting on the sudden turn of events, as well.
Gaara: He marked his sword with the Flying Raijin, too, just in case he became caught in his opponent’s defense and needed a way out. …Ingenious.
Kurotsuchi: The playing field has opened back up, Lord Hokage. …I hope that your grandson can manage now that he’s privy to his full abilities.
Konohamaru said nothing, clasping his hands together and holding them up to his lips as he leaned forward in his seat.
Konohamaru: (Come on, Minto. …You had him once, you can do it again.)
Down below, Minto had already started up his barrier once again, settling on the third pattern for a moment before quickly shifting over to the fourth. As he had projected when he first designed its speed and movements, the strain on his hands prevented him from keeping it going for more than ten seconds, but he knew Airon well enough to predict he would make his first attempt before then.
Airon: (You have to focus hard on the Lashes just to keep up with their movements. He really has pushed himself past his previous limits…buuuutttt…)
He stared strenuously at the motions of the whips in search of an opening, subtly dropping a kunai behind him and grabbing another when he noticed a sudden drop in their speed.
Airon: (Got it…guess it’s not such a perfect technique, after all, is it?)
He channeled lightning-enhanced chakra through the kunai and threw it at Minto, but by the time it was within close proximity, he had once again shifted to his fourth defensive pattern, not even giving Airon enough time to teleport over to retrieve it and back again before it was sliced in half, leaving him with faint traces of aggravation on his face and one last kunai in his possession.
Airon: (Or maybe he’s a better con artist than I am.)
Manako: (Moving too fast for you, are they, Airon?)
Airon: (He looked out of the corner of his eye at the balcony Manako was standing on, smirking as he softly shook his head.) (No faster than anything you’re capable of, Manako…but unlike you, those things have a counterattack built into them in case I miss my mark.)
His smirk vanished a second later when he turned back to look at Minto, who was standing in the center of the arena with his third pattern at full speed. Roughly every ten seconds, he took a moment to display his fourth for more than five, saving up his stamina while giving Airon enough time to examine the pattern further. He continued this silent bragging for well over a minute before Airon had finally had enough, and he closed his eyes and dropped his final kunai.
Airon: (Alright…you win.)
Minto smiled as he slipped this remark into his thoughts, though Airon neglected to tell him of the smoke bombs he was fishing out of his second weapons pouch, which he quickly dropped on the ground. Unfazed by the sudden change of tactics, Minto kept his hands steady and his barrier intact, even when the small cloud was joined by two more on either side of it, then yet another two, and then another, each one Airon added gradually enclosing him in a large circle, much to the confusion of even the most seasoned members of the audience.
Sakura: Smoke screens?
Sasuke: (He turned to the boy’s grandfather, expecting he’d have a better answer than anyone else could provide.) What good will hiding his point of attack do to an all-encompassing defense? …What is he really planning?
Naruto: (He watched the smokescreen closely as it grew ever wider, grinning when he came to a feasible conclusion.) …Something I probably would’ve come up with, too.
Seemingly catching on after a moment, Sasuke and Sakura smiled in nostalgic amusement as they looked back down at the arena floor, Airon’s wall of smoke now complete. Minto’s feet and hands held fast over the course of this latest development, though for safety measures, he kept his neck loose and his eyes peeled for when it came to start his sneak attack. It came moments later from directly behind him, as evidenced by subtle movements within the smoke.
Minto: (There! You’re gonna have to be faster than that, Airon!)
To his surprise, though, what emerged from the cloud was not a kunai, but Airon himself, cloaked in chakra and dashing at blinding speeds towards the barrier. As expected, he was unable to bypass it, but was nonetheless able to disrupt the movements of the Lashes just enough to throw off his defense as a chakra-coated kunai soared out of the smokescreen, the Airon from before revealed to be little more than a clone.
Minto: (He was trying to create an opening for a kunai to slide past…if only it were that easy.)
Pouring more chakra into his hands and the Lashes, Minto was able to increase his speed and move his barrier back into place just as Airon teleported to the kunai, more than enough time on his hands to shift over to his fourth pattern, which quickly coiled around Airon’s arms and legs and sent him crashing to the ground as the kunai flew from his hand.
Minto: (Gotcha again, Airon. …This match is mine.)
The moment Airon connected with the ground, however, he vanished in a puff of smoke as the kunai, now roughly a foot over Minto’s head, transformed back into the real Airon, the marked piece of cloth that was wrapped around its handle now caught between his teeth.
Minto: Huh!?
His sword already unsheathed, Airon smoothly slipped it around Minto’s neck before he could respond with the Shock Lashes, using his other hand to push him towards the ground. They flipped around as they descended, landing with Minto on his back and Airon crouched over him with his sword up to his throat. The stadium fell silent save for Minto’s brief struggling and heavy breaths, a look in his eyes that faintly questioned the lack of real kunai in his brilliant scheme, a question Airon answered with a smile and a nod in the direction of his original position, where his last kunai was revealed to still be laying when the smoke finally cleared. Minto responded with a look of great disappointment, complete with rolled eyes and a smug remark to boot.
Minto: Resorting to cheap tricks to get your way, Airon? …How’d I not see it coming?
Airon: Hmhm, save it for another day, Minto. …Besides, I think the fact that I had to resort to that sort of method says quite a lot…don’t you think?
Minto’s face slowly went blank as he gave it some thought, going back to Airon’s admission of defeat just before he began dropping smoke bombs. Realizing that he was acknowledging Minto’s defense was too fast for him to overcome, Minto allowed his head to fall back as his eyes closed shut and a smile illuminated his face, proud that he had achieved what he set out to accomplish all along.
Minto: Alright. …I give up.
Airon returned his smile and returned his sword to its sheath before signaling to the proctor, who raised his arm to confirm the outcome.
Baiko: The winner is…Airon Namikaze!!
After Airon helped Minto up from the ground, the two embraced in a brotherly hug as the stands exploded in thunderous applause, as much of which went to Minto as it did to Airon for his clever scheming. Even Konohamaru partook in the appraisal with some soft clapping of his own, much to both the surprise and relief of his colleagues.
Gaara: You don’t seem nearly as disappointed as I expected you to be, Hokage.
Konohamaru: (He smiled back in response before looking back down at his grandson.) He gave it his all and nearly pulled off an upset. Against a genin as adept as Airon, I couldn’t really ask for more. …I’m very proud of him.
Kurotsuchi: Hmhm, you should be. That was some of the most impressive handwork I’ve ever seen.
Darui: Agreed. I would wager most of us had a dull time even keeping up with his hand movements. …Whether or not he lost this match, that was a pretty strong display on both sides.
Konohamaru: (He lowered his head in silent gratitude as he leaned back in his seat.) Thank you all. …Hmhm, I suppose facing Manako wouldn’t have panned out so much in his favor, anyways. …It’s for the best in the end.
The now inevitable face-off having just been brought up, the Kage fell silent as they all looked forward in wait for the semi-finals to begin. Down below, many members of the audience had also realized what was now on the horizon and ceased all conversation, though some, like the fathers of the two previous combatants, continued to share their thoughts on the match.
Boruto: Put up a way better fight than we all assumed, that’s for sure.
Suzaku: Yeah…hmhm, I thought he actually had him caught for a moment there.
Raiden: (Still leaned over the chair in front of him, he hesitated before opening his mouth to retort.) He was doomed to fail from the start. …No one beats Airon.
Despite the subtle comment he added on at the end, Suzaku still leaned over as if prepared to retaliate, though he was quickly stopped by a hand on his shoulder and a shake of Boruto’s head.
Boruto: At this point in his life, he’s not exactly wrong, Suzaku. You can give him that one.
Suzaku: (He glanced over at Raiden for a moment before looking forward again.) I guess you’re right. …It doesn’t take a mindreading jutsu to know what he’s really thinking, though.
Boruto: (He smiled and rubbed his shoulder as he stood up, holding out his hand to bid him farewell for now.) Give him some time, Suzaku. He keeps watching him pull off things like this, he’s bound to change eventually.
Suzaku: (He allowed his mouth to gape for a moment before smiling and taking his hand in his own.) …I sure hope so.
Bidding farewell to Suzaku and Ayumi, Boruto and Inoue walked back over to their original seats, the former quickly nudging his rival with his elbow as he sat down.
Boruto: Only one match to go.
Itachi: (He smiled in light of his return.) Hmhm, I can see it starting already. …Are you nervous?
Boruto: (He grinned in response.) Hehe, why would I be? …My son’s not the one whose gonna lose.
Itachi smirked in amusement as all around them, the people in the stadium fell silent, all of them sitting wait for the showdown to come. Down below, as they had agreed before their match began, Airon summoned a clone to escort Minto back to his home by means of teleportation, where Taigen was no doubt waiting for him. The real Airon remained stationary on the arena floor as he stared up at his rival overhead, who returned his gaze in kind as he began walking towards the balcony, his last few steps assisted by a large pillar that erupted from the ground roughly a foot from the stadium wall, courtesy of his second rival standing next to him. This short episode was watched in its entirety by the boys’ grandfathers, the younger of whom turned to the other in a moment of brief enlightenment.
Naruto: Is it wrong to know it would eventually reach this point?
Sasuke: What do you mean?
Naruto: I mean, it makes these matches leading up to theirs feel like nothing at all. …Like their opponents were just stepping stones on their way to meet each other at the center of a pond.
Sasuke: (Understanding his point after a moment, he gazed off at the clouds in the distance as he gave his answer.) At this point, maybe that’s what they are, Naruto. We realized a long time ago that these two had virtually surpassed all prior restrictions on age and development. …For them, not even the sky is the limit…hmhm, and as much as I’d hate to admit it, that statement probably proves twice as valid for Airon.
He saw the humor in this statement, but even then, Naruto couldn’t bring himself to smile. He could only watch as the two boys conversed on the balcony below, knowing full well that no shinobi of such great power has ever lead a life completely free of sorrow.
The cunning inherited from his grandfather sends Airon into the next round, now set to fight against his greatest opponent!!!
The End
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Chapter 071: Blood of a Trickster
His ability to move completely stripped away from him, Airon laid helpless on the ground as Minto pushed away at the button on the Shock Lash every five seconds, continuing his opponent’s immobile state for roughly the same amount of time. By now, this cycle had repeated itself at least seven times, and with virtually no end in sight, Baiko raised his arm to announcement the end of the match.
Baiko: The winner is-
He stopped midway as a familiar voice suddenly spoke up in his mind, prompting him to turn and look at Airon, who was wearing a serious expression and shaking his head as far back and forth as he possibly could. Noticing this, Minto frowned and looked over at Baiko for answers.
Minto: Proctor?
Baiko: (Caught off guard by his intrusion, he jerked his head slightly as he turned to face him.) The match ends when one of the contestants surrenders, is unable to continue fighting, or dies. …None of those conditions have been met yet.
Expecting as much, Minto looked over at Airon, who was smiling in amusement at his more irritated expression.
Airon: (I’m not letting you off easy, Minto. You wanna win this match, you’re gonna have to drain aaallll my chakra. …So prepare to be here a while.)
Minto: (He smirked after a moment’s hesitation, signaling that he agreed to those terms.) (Go ahead and do what you want. I’m very patient with you, Airon. …Always have been.)
They shared a silent laugh at this, while up in the stands, several members of the audience continued to stare in amazement at the match’s current state. After watching the first round, most of them had become convinced that Airon was, by far, the fastest genin in the tournament, so his inability to bypass Minto’s defense came as quite a shock, especially to those who knew him best.
Boruto: I can’t believe he caught Airon in his defense. …The Flying Raijin Jutsu’s speed is supposed to be unsurpassable.
Suzaku: (He couldn’t help but nod in agreement, though he continued to support his son’s efforts. ) Well, it’s not entirely implausible, Bolt. That was a very narrow space he teleported into. …Minto just managed to catch him in his defense before he could retaliate, I suppose.
Boruto motioned his agreement as he looked down at Airon, though he still found it difficult to believe, as did his son’s rival on the nearby balcony.
Manako: (What just happened, Airon? You don’t get caught like that.)
Airon: (He smiled up at the balcony, though traces of irritation could also be seen in his expression.) (Contrary to popular belief, Manako, I don’t keep track of everything my friends learn how to do. …You’re just a special case.)
Manako: (He managed to return a smirk, though he was still vastly disappointed.) (Be that as it may, when someone manages to surpass what you thought was their maximum potential…I’d think you of all people would take notice.)
Airon’s face tensed up again as another surge of electricity coursed his limbs, cutting off his connection to Manako before he could say that he had taken notice to Minto’s improved abilities, long before the exams even started.
– Eight Months Prior –
Some time had passed since Airon’s suggestion that they focus on the Shock Lashes’ defensive capabilities, and Minto was making steady progress with the patterns of movements the former developed. Their time spent practicing them was limited given their determination to maintain secrecy, restricted either to the early mornings when no other teams were ripe for training, or late into the night where no one would notice their absence, to the point where nearly three months had passed since their hard work finally began to pay off. The Third Training Ground was their location of choice, and it was here that Minto was currently showcasing his mastery over the first pattern to an onlooking Airon, who was clearly satisfied with his progress.
Airon: Alright, now show me the second pattern.
Minto’s weapons fell limp, picking up again after a few deep breaths, their movements having grown faster and more complex. He kept them in motion for several seconds as Airon traced them with his eyes, smiling when he was certain they matched those he had taught him previously.
Airon: Perfect. …And now the third.
He stopped again to catch his breath, though he was much more hesitant to start than before, hinting that he had yet to completely master the third pattern. Some patience on Airon’s part eventually got the ball rolling again, though it became clear within a minute that this was indeed the case.
Airon: You gotta keep the hands moving, Minto. Come on, you can go faster than that.
As Airon put it, the problem stemmed from Minto’s inability to keep the motions of the Lashes on their intended path, while also maintaining the speed needed to keep them from falling flat. He grew closer as the minutes passed, but by the time he had finally grown too exhausted to continue, he was still falling short of his goal, though Airon was quick to comfort him on this.
Airon: Hand motions are still a little sloppy…but you’re definitely getting there.
Minto: (He fell back into the dirt as he wheezed a reply, rubbing his hands incessantly.) Huhh…huhh, thanks. …Huhh, jeez, my hands are killin’ me.
Airon: Hehehehe, well, try and endure the pain. It’s gonna pay off big time in the long run. Heck, you keep going at this rate and even I won’t be able to skate past that barrier.
Airon half-expected him either to brush off this remark or sarcastically go along with it, making his silence afterwards somewhat surprising, not to mention intriguing.
Airon: What is it?
Minto: (Realizing he’d just been spacing out, he quickly turned away in minor embarrassment.) …Nothing.
Airon: (Amused, he was about to comment on this before hearing footsteps in the distance.) Alright. Well, put those away and we’ll call it a day for now. We gotta keep these under wraps until it comes time for you to fight Raiden.
Minto: (He slowly did as he asked, looking up at him after he put the Shock Lashes in his weapons pouch and zipped it shut.) When is that?
Airon: (He smirked in amusement.) Well, I’d imagine the Chūnin Exams. What better place to showcase a secret weapon than in a stadium full of people from around the world, right?
Minto: (He stared ahead for a moment before standing up, no pleasure to be found in his expression, though traces could be seen brewing underneath.) Yeah…good point.
They started walking towards the tree line when they were greeted by an arriving team of genin led by their somewhat ecstatic sensei, whose right eye had slightly duller coloring than the left.
Katame: Seems we were interrupting someone else’s training session. It’s a pleasure running into you, Honorable Grandsons.
Airon: The same to you, Katame-sensei. And yes, you can say that. (Jeez, my grandfather’s not even Hokage anymore.)
Kūrogane: (She cocked an eyebrow in curiosity.) Anything worth sharing with the rest of us, perhaps?
Airon: (He smirked in amusement, staring at her as if surprised she would even bother asking.) Hmhm, as if we’d share our trade secrets with someone who might wind up our enemies later on down the road.
Minto: (He partook in the chuckling that followed before adding to the conversation.) That said, from what we’ve accomplished so far, I can definitely say it’ll be worth the wait to find out.
Raiden: How’s that? Did he teach you to walk or something?
Without hesitation, all noises within the vicinity ceased save for a slight breeze. Kemono and Katame buried their faces in their hands while Kūrogane rubbed her eyes before cutting in, each of them half-expecting this moment to crop up.
Kūrogane: Raiden, quit it. We’re fixing to spar, we don’t need this.
Raiden: (As usual, he shrugged off her remarks with an annoyed expression.) Why’s this a problem? I’m just getting jazzed up.
Minto: (Unable to hold himself back, he exhaled deeply through his nose as he curled his fist.) You’ve got a pretty big mouth considering you have no teeth in it. I catch you in a real fight, Raiden, I’ll make you wish you were never born as my little brother.
Raiden: Heh, you say that as if I don’t alrea-
Airon: Raiden.
Raiden was fully prepared to resume his tirade of insults, but the rage in Airon’s eyes and the small glint from his partially unsheathed sword caused him to stop before any more words left his mouth. A few more seconds of awkward silence passed before he and Minto finally left the the training ground, nodding farewell to Raiden’s teammates as they walked away. They continued well past the tree line before Minto finally stopped and leaned against a tree with his hands in his pockets, apparently deep in thought, prompting Airon to walk up behind him and rest his hand on his shoulder.
Airon: You alright?
Minto: (He turned his head slightly to bring him into his gaze, only faint traces of sadness in his expression.) Yeah. …Airon.
Airon removed his hand and waited for him to speak, though it took Minto a moment to do so, not even turning around when he finally opened his mouth.
Minto: If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to practice these patterns on my own from now on. I already know them, so it’s not like I can’t tell if I’m getting them wrong or not. …So…
He turned around to see his response, half-expecting him to be disappointed or, at the very least, question his reasons for the sudden request.
Airon: Yeah, that’s works out great.
Minto: …I’m sorry?
Airon: (He grinned in amusement before explaining himself, turning away with an almost sly expression.) I’ve been doing a little something on the side with Inase for the past few weeks, anyways, so by all means, get in all the hours of solo practice you want. …They’re your secret weapons, after all. I shouldn’t know how skilled you are with them.
Minto: (Surprised by his answer, he looked away for a moment as he allowed his words to sink in.) Yeah, I guess that’s true.
Airon: That said, if you wind up slipping up and revealing them before the right time comes around, I’m gonna be all over you in a heartbeat.
Minto almost jerked his head as he whipped back around, his eyes wide with fear, prompting Airon to throw his head back as laughter burst forth from his lips. Minto’s fear quickly vanished as he buried his head in his hand, now overcome with both embarrassment and annoyance.
Airon: I’m kidding, Minto, relax. Now go do what you gotta do. I have to go find Manako. I’ll catch you later, alright?
Minto: …Yeah…catch you later.
He placed his hand on his shoulder one last time before walking away, leaving Minto standing there alone amongst the trees. He looked off towards the training ground once he was gone, leaving for home once he decided he had no other options for the time being.
Minto returned to the training ground that night, faint new markings left upon the ground from Team Katame’s no doubt productive session earlier in the day. He spent a rather unnecessary length of time patrolling the area for any potential late-night strollers before pulling out the Shock Lashes, starting with the first and simplest defensive pattern after a few heavy breaths. Roughly half a minute into it, he shifted to the second pattern with relative ease, though when he tried to move to the third pattern another thirty seconds later, the weapons’ motions quickly fell into disarray, forcing him to stop and regain his composure.
Minto: Rrrrgh…huhhh, relax…move your hands…
He flexed his wrists a few times to straighten out the whips laying across the ground before closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. When he was finally ready, he opened them again.
Minto: …Go.
He began once again with the first pattern, shifting to the second almost immediately afterwards, a testament to how well he knew them both by this point. He was much more hesitant to make the second shift, however, still struggling to maintain the balance between speed and hand motions. As time passed, though, his movements gradually fell into place, prompting him to stop and reach into his pocket. Walking over to the three posts in the center of the field, he unwrapped a pack of mints and stacked them atop the middle post before stepping back roughly twenty feet and beginning the patterns once again. His speed increased exponentially with each pattern, to the point that when he arrived at the third, just as he and Airon had predicted, the movements of the Lashes pushed the surrounding air outward with such force that the mints on top of the post were sent flying in all directions. Seeing as this as proof that he had reached his peak, Minto allowed the Lashes to fall flat, content with this massive accomplishment.
Minto: Huhh…huhh…finally. Pattern number three…completely mastered.
Still breathing heavily, he sat down and lazily crossed his legs as a smile crept onto his face, though it slowly disappeared as another thought entered his mind.
Minto: (Is that enough, though?)
Airon’s words rang in his ear as he contemplated this.
Airon: They’re your secret weapons, after all. I shouldn’t know how skilled you are with them.
There was truth in his words, truth that almost came across as a challenge to him, even more so the longer he thought it over. Airon developed the patterns himself before teaching them to Minto, so even if he mastered them all, he already knew the full range of his abilities. And yet, he had also designed them to stretch his speed and stamina to their absolute peaks, so the only way to possibly enhance them further would be to push beyond his own limitations. It was a silly idea, he thought, but from the mouth of Airon Namikaze, no aspiration seemed completely out of reach. Minto smiled at his old friend’s cleverness before standing up, sending ripples down the lengths of the Lashes to study their movements before slowly putting them away and leaving the training ground for the night, having accomplished all he set out to do for now.
Minto: (Alright then, Airon. …I’ll show you just how skilled with these I can be.)
The month that followed that wasn’t spent on missions was spent cooped up in his workshop, most of the time he normally dedicated to his friends now aimed at further developing his speed, his hand movements, his chakra control, and his prowess with his new weapons. The work was excruciating and time-consuming, even taking into account that all of it was being done in solitude, but he was slowly making progress along the way, pushing his body well beyond what he ever would’ve dreamed of achieving not even a year before. With the Third Training Ground as his base of operations, he soon began rushing from the tree line to the posts and back in seconds flat, performing elaborate tricks with the Shock Lashes, and illuminating over half of the field with his greatest output of chakra. But, perhaps most impressively of all, he developed a fourth defensive pattern with his weapons, one that he now spent every night working towards mastering. The required speed of his hand motions would form a secondary barrier that could potentially push back even mid-level fire and water-based techniques. The patterns were made so small and complex that only the sharpest eyes could keep track of them and only the fastest and most agile opponents could squeeze past them. And the effort to maintain both would be so strenuous on his body that he could only keep them going for ten-second intervals before being forced to return to using the third pattern. It was an agonizing task, something he quickly discovered on the first night he went to test it out, but he was more than up to the challenge, something he found out that same night when he wound up making more progress than he’d originally anticipated. When he reached a point where he could train no longer, he dropped both Lashes and fell flat on his back, trying hard not to flex his pain-ridden fingers for the next five minutes as he smiled at the thought of showcasing this new milestone to the weapons’ co-creator.
Minto: Huhh…huhh…well…huhh, it’s a start. (Just you wait, Airon. This technique is gonna make anything you showed me look like Academy-level nonsense.)
Several minutes passed before he found the energy to stand up and put away his weapons, walking home shortly afterward as an observant Manako watched from far beyond the tree line, making sure the training ground was just outside his Sharingan’s line of sight as per Airon’s instructions. He noted the smile on his face before looking off past the trees towards the aforementioned genin, who was sitting cross-legged atop a small building resting just on the outskirts of the woods separating the training ground from the rest of the village.
Manako: (He seems pretty happy with whatever he just finished doing.)
Airon could only smile in response since, as he had previously assured Minto, he bore no indication as to what this entailed.
Airon: (I’m looking forward to whatever it may be.)
– Present-Day –
With Minto’s timing still on cue, several minutes had already passed by with Airon still paralyzed on the ground, his knowledge of the wheat used to make the weapons coiling around his body indicating that at least half of his chakra had already been drained away. Only two other people in the entire stadium were aware of this, but the ominous feeling that his inability to escape gave the audience caused many to worry nonetheless, even some among his peers and loved ones.
Hitomi: He’s still laying there…is he at least plotting his escape still? At this point, I’m starting to doubt he’ll-
Manako: Ssshh.
Hitomi looked to his side in surprise, finding Manako standing there with his arms against the railing, staring down at Airon with an obviously angry look in his eyes. An equal amount of anxiety could be seen in Nakama’s expression, though they both stemmed from a shared reasoning – the possibility of not getting to fight Airon. Much more relaxed was their rival down below, the small amount of pain inflicted by each paralyzing shock of the Lash notwithstanding, and he glanced up at his opponent with as impressed a look in his eyes as he’d ever given him.
Airon: (I honestly believed you’d reached your limit when I taught you the third pattern. …I’m kind of ashamed to admit it, but I never thought you’d become strong enough to create a fourth.)
Minto: (He looked down at him with a sly expression on his face as he pressed the button on the Lash’s handle once again.) (As I said, it was your mistake choosing not to read your friends’ minds when they’re the ones you should worry about the most.)
Airon closed his eyes momentarily to reflect on this, looking up at Minto moments later with a smile that gradually turned from gentle to wicked.
Airon: (Oh, I never stopped worrying about you, Minto. …Why do you think I left my sword over there on the ground?)
Minto took the bait right away and looked over at Airon’s katana, his eyes widening as he realized one second too late that he’d been duped. Before he could press the button and send another surge of electricity through the Shock Lash, though, Airon had already vanished from beneath its folds, reappearing overtop his sword and moving just in time to avoid the second as it crashed down on his position. Free from Minto’s clutches and out of his weapons’ range, Airon took a moment to catch his breath, smiling over at him as he tried to grasp what just happened.
Airon: You reacted, Minto. …Need to control those impulses.
Minto: (Disappointed with himself as he’d ever been, his once confident expression quickly became serious as he stared Airon down.) It doesn’t change anything. Like you said, I’ve surpassed whatever limits you thought I had. …Even you can’t touch me now.
Airon’s smile morphed into a grin at the prospect of this new challenge, using his sword to stand back up before retying it around his waist and reaching into his weapons pouch to see how many kunai he had left, cringing when he found there were only two remaining.
Airon: (That’s not good…guess I’ll have to make due.)
Up in the stands, many of his biggest supporters heaved a sigh of relief that he was now free to counterattack, the Kage sitting overhead commenting on the sudden turn of events, as well.
Gaara: He marked his sword with the Flying Raijin, too, just in case he became caught in his opponent’s defense and needed a way out. …Ingenious.
Kurotsuchi: The playing field has opened back up, Lord Hokage. …I hope that your grandson can manage now that he’s privy to his full abilities.
Konohamaru said nothing, clasping his hands together and holding them up to his lips as he leaned forward in his seat.
Konohamaru: (Come on, Minto. …You had him once, you can do it again.)
Down below, Minto had already started up his barrier once again, settling on the third pattern for a moment before quickly shifting over to the fourth. As he had projected when he first designed its speed and movements, the strain on his hands prevented him from keeping it going for more than ten seconds, but he knew Airon well enough to predict he would make his first attempt before then.
Airon: (You have to focus hard on the Lashes just to keep up with their movements. He really has pushed himself past his previous limits…buuuutttt…)
He stared strenuously at the motions of the whips in search of an opening, subtly dropping a kunai behind him and grabbing another when he noticed a sudden drop in their speed.
Airon: (Got it…guess it’s not such a perfect technique, after all, is it?)
He channeled lightning-enhanced chakra through the kunai and threw it at Minto, but by the time it was within close proximity, he had once again shifted to his fourth defensive pattern, not even giving Airon enough time to teleport over to retrieve it and back again before it was sliced in half, leaving him with faint traces of aggravation on his face and one last kunai in his possession.
Airon: (Or maybe he’s a better con artist than I am.)
Manako: (Moving too fast for you, are they, Airon?)
Airon: (He looked out of the corner of his eye at the balcony Manako was standing on, smirking as he softly shook his head.) (No faster than anything you’re capable of, Manako…but unlike you, those things have a counterattack built into them in case I miss my mark.)
His smirk vanished a second later when he turned back to look at Minto, who was standing in the center of the arena with his third pattern at full speed. Roughly every ten seconds, he took a moment to display his fourth for more than five, saving up his stamina while giving Airon enough time to examine the pattern further. He continued this silent bragging for well over a minute before Airon had finally had enough, and he closed his eyes and dropped his final kunai.
Airon: (Alright…you win.)
Minto smiled as he slipped this remark into his thoughts, though Airon neglected to tell him of the smoke bombs he was fishing out of his second weapons pouch, which he quickly dropped on the ground. Unfazed by the sudden change of tactics, Minto kept his hands steady and his barrier intact, even when the small cloud was joined by two more on either side of it, then yet another two, and then another, each one Airon added gradually enclosing him in a large circle, much to the confusion of even the most seasoned members of the audience.
Sakura: Smoke screens?
Sasuke: (He turned to the boy’s grandfather, expecting he’d have a better answer than anyone else could provide.) What good will hiding his point of attack do to an all-encompassing defense? …What is he really planning?
Naruto: (He watched the smokescreen closely as it grew ever wider, grinning when he came to a feasible conclusion.) …Something I probably would’ve come up with, too.
Seemingly catching on after a moment, Sasuke and Sakura smiled in nostalgic amusement as they looked back down at the arena floor, Airon’s wall of smoke now complete. Minto’s feet and hands held fast over the course of this latest development, though for safety measures, he kept his neck loose and his eyes peeled for when it came to start his sneak attack. It came moments later from directly behind him, as evidenced by subtle movements within the smoke.
Minto: (There! You’re gonna have to be faster than that, Airon!)
To his surprise, though, what emerged from the cloud was not a kunai, but Airon himself, cloaked in chakra and dashing at blinding speeds towards the barrier. As expected, he was unable to bypass it, but was nonetheless able to disrupt the movements of the Lashes just enough to throw off his defense as a chakra-coated kunai soared out of the smokescreen, the Airon from before revealed to be little more than a clone.
Minto: (He was trying to create an opening for a kunai to slide past…if only it were that easy.)
Pouring more chakra into his hands and the Lashes, Minto was able to increase his speed and move his barrier back into place just as Airon teleported to the kunai, more than enough time on his hands to shift over to his fourth pattern, which quickly coiled around Airon’s arms and legs and sent him crashing to the ground as the kunai flew from his hand.
Minto: (Gotcha again, Airon. …This match is mine.)
The moment Airon connected with the ground, however, he vanished in a puff of smoke as the kunai, now roughly a foot over Minto’s head, transformed back into the real Airon, the marked piece of cloth that was wrapped around its handle now caught between his teeth.
Minto: Huh!?
His sword already unsheathed, Airon smoothly slipped it around Minto’s neck before he could respond with the Shock Lashes, using his other hand to push him towards the ground. They flipped around as they descended, landing with Minto on his back and Airon crouched over him with his sword up to his throat. The stadium fell silent save for Minto’s brief struggling and heavy breaths, a look in his eyes that faintly questioned the lack of real kunai in his brilliant scheme, a question Airon answered with a smile and a nod in the direction of his original position, where his last kunai was revealed to still be laying when the smoke finally cleared. Minto responded with a look of great disappointment, complete with rolled eyes and a smug remark to boot.
Minto: Resorting to cheap tricks to get your way, Airon? …How’d I not see it coming?
Airon: Hmhm, save it for another day, Minto. …Besides, I think the fact that I had to resort to that sort of method says quite a lot…don’t you think?
Minto’s face slowly went blank as he gave it some thought, going back to Airon’s admission of defeat just before he began dropping smoke bombs. Realizing that he was acknowledging Minto’s defense was too fast for him to overcome, Minto allowed his head to fall back as his eyes closed shut and a smile illuminated his face, proud that he had achieved what he set out to accomplish all along.
Minto: Alright. …I give up.
Airon returned his smile and returned his sword to its sheath before signaling to the proctor, who raised his arm to confirm the outcome.
Baiko: The winner is…Airon Namikaze!!
After Airon helped Minto up from the ground, the two embraced in a brotherly hug as the stands exploded in thunderous applause, as much of which went to Minto as it did to Airon for his clever scheming. Even Konohamaru partook in the appraisal with some soft clapping of his own, much to both the surprise and relief of his colleagues.
Gaara: You don’t seem nearly as disappointed as I expected you to be, Hokage.
Konohamaru: (He smiled back in response before looking back down at his grandson.) He gave it his all and nearly pulled off an upset. Against a genin as adept as Airon, I couldn’t really ask for more. …I’m very proud of him.
Kurotsuchi: Hmhm, you should be. That was some of the most impressive handwork I’ve ever seen.
Darui: Agreed. I would wager most of us had a dull time even keeping up with his hand movements. …Whether or not he lost this match, that was a pretty strong display on both sides.
Konohamaru: (He lowered his head in silent gratitude as he leaned back in his seat.) Thank you all. …Hmhm, I suppose facing Manako wouldn’t have panned out so much in his favor, anyways. …It’s for the best in the end.
The now inevitable face-off having just been brought up, the Kage fell silent as they all looked forward in wait for the semi-finals to begin. Down below, many members of the audience had also realized what was now on the horizon and ceased all conversation, though some, like the fathers of the two previous combatants, continued to share their thoughts on the match.
Boruto: Put up a way better fight than we all assumed, that’s for sure.
Suzaku: Yeah…hmhm, I thought he actually had him caught for a moment there.
Raiden: (Still leaned over the chair in front of him, he hesitated before opening his mouth to retort.) He was doomed to fail from the start. …No one beats Airon.
Despite the subtle comment he added on at the end, Suzaku still leaned over as if prepared to retaliate, though he was quickly stopped by a hand on his shoulder and a shake of Boruto’s head.
Boruto: At this point in his life, he’s not exactly wrong, Suzaku. You can give him that one.
Suzaku: (He glanced over at Raiden for a moment before looking forward again.) I guess you’re right. …It doesn’t take a mindreading jutsu to know what he’s really thinking, though.
Boruto: (He smiled and rubbed his shoulder as he stood up, holding out his hand to bid him farewell for now.) Give him some time, Suzaku. He keeps watching him pull off things like this, he’s bound to change eventually.
Suzaku: (He allowed his mouth to gape for a moment before smiling and taking his hand in his own.) …I sure hope so.
Bidding farewell to Suzaku and Ayumi, Boruto and Inoue walked back over to their original seats, the former quickly nudging his rival with his elbow as he sat down.
Boruto: Only one match to go.
Itachi: (He smiled in light of his return.) Hmhm, I can see it starting already. …Are you nervous?
Boruto: (He grinned in response.) Hehe, why would I be? …My son’s not the one whose gonna lose.
Itachi smirked in amusement as all around them, the people in the stadium fell silent, all of them sitting wait for the showdown to come. Down below, as they had agreed before their match began, Airon summoned a clone to escort Minto back to his home by means of teleportation, where Taigen was no doubt waiting for him. The real Airon remained stationary on the arena floor as he stared up at his rival overhead, who returned his gaze in kind as he began walking towards the balcony, his last few steps assisted by a large pillar that erupted from the ground roughly a foot from the stadium wall, courtesy of his second rival standing next to him. This short episode was watched in its entirety by the boys’ grandfathers, the younger of whom turned to the other in a moment of brief enlightenment.
Naruto: Is it wrong to know it would eventually reach this point?
Sasuke: What do you mean?
Naruto: I mean, it makes these matches leading up to theirs feel like nothing at all. …Like their opponents were just stepping stones on their way to meet each other at the center of a pond.
Sasuke: (Understanding his point after a moment, he gazed off at the clouds in the distance as he gave his answer.) At this point, maybe that’s what they are, Naruto. We realized a long time ago that these two had virtually surpassed all prior restrictions on age and development. …For them, not even the sky is the limit…hmhm, and as much as I’d hate to admit it, that statement probably proves twice as valid for Airon.
He saw the humor in this statement, but even then, Naruto couldn’t bring himself to smile. He could only watch as the two boys conversed on the balcony below, knowing full well that no shinobi of such great power has ever lead a life completely free of sorrow.
The cunning inherited from his grandfather sends Airon into the next round, now set to fight against his greatest opponent!!!
The End
